Valves are used in a variety of industries to control the flow of fluids, in particular in the oil and gas industry. Most valves provide a valve body having a longitudinal flow bore and a transverse gate cavity that intersects the flow bore. Actuating devices are used particularly for moving a translating closing plate in the gate cavity between a closed position, in which the plate obstructed the flow bore, and an open position, in which the plate does not obstruct the flow bore. Actuating devices are driven by an input torque, the necessary torques being generally produced with hand-wheels or with electromechanical systems.
Actuating devices further provide transmission mechanism able to transform a rotation motion into a translation motion, being provided with a translating shaft that drives the opening and closing of the gate plate and a rotating sleeve connected to the torque wheel. As an alternative, the shaft may rotate and the sleeve may translate.
Generally, the translating shaft is solidary with the translating closing plate and the anti-rotation torque of the translating shaft is supported by the seat of the gate cavity on which the translating closing plate is bearing. This induces a complementary resistance for the translating motion of the translating closing plate, which increases the input torque.
The references DE 10 2007 043 391, WO 2013/050267 and WO 2012/144371 describe actuating devices in which the anti-rotation torque is supported by rollers having radial axis, disposed in longitudinal groove of a casing. Such dispositions are complicated to implement and induce noises.